HIGHLIGHTS

Spring Cleaning with Marie Kondo

She’s the Duchess of Decluttering, the Queen of Clean. Marie Kondo swept into our consciousness in 2014 with her best-selling book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and hasn’t retreated since.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, here is the lowdown. Marie Kondo is a world-famous Japanese organising consultant, with four books, 2.8 million Instagram followers, a Netflix series and a beautiful website under her belt. She has a trademarked tidying method, the KonMari Method. Her phrase “spark joy” (Kondo says a person’s possessions must “spark joy” if they are to remain in the home) has exploded into common parlance. Time magazine included her in its 2015 list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Her clean and serene website, new for 2019, embodies her brand perfectly. Here are some things to look out for on it.

THE SIX BASIC RULES OF TIDYING

Whether you’ve bought her book, watched her on Netflix or wish the world would stop going gaga for the guru, you could definitely benefit from her website’s six (manageable and inspirational) rules of tidying. Trust us.

THE BLOG

All Things KonMari’d is a genuinely good lifestyle blog, which offers tips on everything from tidying up for guests to discarding unwanted gifts to how to wrap presents in style.

THE NETFLIX SERIES

It was only a matter of time before Marie Kondo became a reality TV sensation.
The New Yorker called Tidying Up With Marie Kondo “mindless television on the topic of mindful domesticity” but the eight-episode show (in which the great lady herself enters the homes of woefully messy folk and changes their lives) has many fans nevertheless. Sample it on Kondo’s site and make your mind up for yourself.

THE BOOKSHOP

You can buy beautiful, hardback editions of Marie Kondo’s wildly popular books (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up has sold over 1.5 million copies) here. A word of warning: think twice before you buy these as gifts for others. Kondo may be a cultural icon but few people want to be told, through the medium of a present, that their house is a cluttered mess.

THE CONSULTANTS SECTION

The KonMari Method is so popular that Marie Kondo has trained hundreds of people as certified consultants in it. From LA to Sydney to London, there is a qualified practitioner waiting to help you spark joy. If you are already a convert to Kondo’s cause and would like to become a consultant, there is nothing stopping you. Find all details on Kondo’s website.